The murder of Colin Smith sent shockwaves around Merseyside which were said to have also been felt across the world.

To those closest to him, he was a dad from Halewood shot dead in a brutal attack - possibly sparked by jealousy of his business success.

Yet, in the aftermath of his death, rumours swirled that he was the successor of notorious Curtis Warren and that his execution had been ordered by a Columbian cartel over a £72m cocaine dispute.

Ten years on from his death, neither theory has been tested through the courts.

Detectives remain on the hunt for his killer - and his family are still without justice.


Colin Smith, who was shot dead in Alderwood Avenue, Speke, in November 2007

Aged 40 at the time of his death, Mr Smith ran a property development company and was said to have a "number of other business interests".

The former security guard was a dad to five children - aged between six and 16 when he was shot - and described as a "caring and loving" family man.

He had left school at 16 and rose through the manual labour and property trades, with a family solicitor writing after his death that: "Rumours about Mr Smith's involvement in illegal activity, and being close to Curtis Warren , have been circulating around Liverpool for the last 20 years and are something the family vehemently deny."

Mr Smith’s family said he had neither been "investigated or questioned by any police agency, customs and excise or government officers" for more than a decade.

That earlier scrutiny had come in the form of no ordinary investigation, however.

Fourteen years before he was gunned down on November 13, 2007, Mr Smith’s name was thrust into the spotlight by detectives who accused him of playing a leading role in Britain's biggest cocaine smuggling gang.

In 1993, he was hit with allegations that he was involved in a £190m plot to bring Venezuelan cocaine into the UK, alongside none other than Curtis Warren - the Toxteth drugs baron whose ill-gotten gains put him in the Sunday Times Rich List.

Customs officials claimed a nine-strong gang was responsible for importing the class A supplies, which were intercepted coming through Felixstowe and destined for Liverpool.

But, after listening to almost two months of evidence at a court in Newcastle, Judge Mr Justice May discharged Mr Smith, Warren and a third suspect, from Manchester, after ruling there was insufficient evidence to prove they had any involvement in the case.

Mr Smith, who at the time of his release was a 26-year-old living in Allerton , strongly denied drug importation charges and his family pointed out that he was never convicted of any drugs offences.


Yet, while he had not been convicted of drugs offences, following his death, rumours circulated his business interests went far beyond property development.

Claims swirled he had, in fact, been Warren’s right hand man and had taken over when Warren was locked up.

Mr Smith’s empire, claimed to have been built on cocaine, was said to have washed billions of pounds through the city, courting business from international drug cartels.

His reputation was said to have been that of a "straight flyer" - a businessman in a world dominated by thugs, whose payments were upfront and always on time.

This bought him loyalty and respect, though his success also brought him enemies as rivals and wannabes lined up as they looked for their chance to carve a slice of the market for themselves.


The scene of the fatal shooting in Alderwood Avenue, Speke
The scene of the fatal shooting in Alderwood Avenue, Speke

It is generally assumed Mr Smith was lured to his death and killed by a professional hitman.

After dropping one of his sons at a football training session, he drove his black Ford Galaxy to Speke and visited Nels Gym, in Alderwood Avenue.

Rather than attending for a workout - the gym was going through a refit at the time - he is said to have met with "underworld figures" at around 7.40pm that Tuesday.

Twenty minutes later, in a move thought to have been sparked by a text or call to his mobile, Mr Smith stepped outside alone.

Seconds later, he was blasted twice in the stomach at close range with a pump-action shotgun.

His assassin, who lay in wait in a service road near the Mill House pub, has never been caught and is rumoured to have been on a flight out of John Lennon Airport well before responding police officers had grasped the enormity of the suspected gangland hit.


Forensic officers in Speke investigating Mr Smith's death
Forensic officers in Speke investigating Mr Smith's death

While Mr Smith’s family dispute any link to crime claimed since his death, one motive for the murder was borne out of rumours of a missing cocaine shipment.

Underworld suggestions pointed to an alleged deal done by a trusted ally of Mr Smith, who was alleged to have set up an importation of around 500kg of cocaine straight from South America.

The drugs were shipped to Amsterdam in a deal thought to have been worth £72m and sat on the quayside waiting for his team to bring it back to Britain.

Yet, within months, the associate was shot dead in Liverpool as he left a party.

Mr Smith was said to have scooped up the shipment and sold it through a vast network of dealers.

But, it was said, some time later, when the South Americans came calling for their money, he denied ever having seen the drugs, claiming they must have been intercepted by the Dutch authorities.

In incidents such as these, a crook can seek safety in the form of what is known as a "yellow pedal".

By producing a carbon copy, on yellow paper, of the sheet handed out when the authorities impound a shipment, or a newspaper report of the seizure, criminals wipe the slate clean and go back to doing business.

But when Mr Smith couldn't produce such a document, it is claimed his fate was sealed and the suspicious cartels put a price on his head.


The police cordon set up in Speke after Mr Smith was shot
The police cordon set up in Speke after Mr Smith was shot

Detectives believed Mr Smith was murdered because of his business interests.

And his family are convinced that they - and others, including Merseyside Police - know who the killer is, but do not have the details needed to secure a conviction.

While officers conducted international enquiries in their hunt for Mr Smith’s killer, both the family and police believe the key to solving the murder investigation lies in Speke.

In a fresh appeal, released to mark the 10th anniversary of Mr Smith’s murder, police vowed they would continue to search for those responsible.

Officers are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time who may have seen anything which could help them with their inquiries to come forward.

They are also appealing to members of the criminal fraternity who could help to contact them.

Detective Superintendent Dave Brunskill said: "There is no doubt in our minds there are people out there who know who shot Colin Smith and, over time, allegiances may have changed locally and I would appeal to anyone who has information which could help us find those responsible to come forward.

"Colin was very well-known and Speke is a close-knit community, within which vital information may be known.

"This was a callous and cold-blooded crime, which deprived five children (aged between six and 16-years at the time of the murder) of their father and a family of their loved one.

"Ten years on, Colin's family and friends are still dealing with his loss.

"I can reassure them that Merseyside Police will not give up until those responsible are put before the courts."

*Anyone who can help the police with their investigation can contact the gun crime hotline on 0800 230 0600, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.